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OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between functional disability and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 78 adults who met the classification criteria for SSc defined by the American College of Rheumatology/European League of Rheumatology (ACR/EULAR)-2013. The Bangla version of Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) were used to measure HRQoL and functional disability in SSc patients. RESULTS: The patients' median [IQR] HAQ-DI was 1.4 [0.6-2.1], with 37.2% having a mild functional disability, 33.3 percent having a moderate functional disability, and 29.5 percent having a severe functional disability. The hygiene and activity domains of the HAQ-DI obtained the highest scores, 2.0 [0.0-3.0] and 2.0 [1.0-3.0], respectively. The Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) of the SF-36 had median [IQR] values of 26.2 [15.0-58.1] and 42.0 [19.6-60.6]. The highest score was 50.0 [25.0-75.0] in social functioning. The PCS of the SF-36 was moderately correlated with the HAQ-DI (rs = - 0.629, P < 0.001) and the MCS of the SF-36 was weakly correlated with the HAQ-DI ((rs = - 0.344, P < 0.001). Age, female sex, and incomplete fist closure substantially influenced functional status. Calcinosis, Raynaud's Phenomenon, and flexion contracture significantly diminished the quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Functional disability negatively affects health-related quality of life. Age, Musculoskeletal, and skin involvement are significantly associated with poor quality of life and functional disability. Therefore, treatment strategies should be aimed at reducing functional disability, which will enhance the HRQoL of SSc patients.
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical patterns and consequences of post-chikungunya arthritis was the study's objective. METHODS: This longitudinal study was carried out among 143 Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infected adult patients at the rheumatology department, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh, during the outbreak of CHIKV infection in 2017. The disease was categorized into three phases: acute or febrile (lasting up to 10 days), subacute (11-90 days), and chronic (> 90 days). Patients who progressed towards the chronic phase were followed up to 1-year. Post-CHIKV de novo chronic inflammatory rheumatisms (CIRs) were characterized by persistent mono or oligoarthritis, undifferentiated polyarthritis, or meet the criteria rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or Spondyloarthritis (SpA). In addition, functional status was assessed by the validated Bangla version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). RESULTS: Mean age was 43.3 ± 11.5 years, and 51.0% were male. Within 1-year follow-up, 60 (41.9%) patients were suffering from arthralgia/ arthritis. Of them 52 patients did not have any pre-existing arthralgia/arthritis. 35 (65.3%) had undifferentiated arthritis, 10 (19.2%) had SpA, and 7 (13.5%) had RA. Patients with pre-existing rheumatological disorders, 6(4.2%) had SpA, 1(0.7%) had RA and 1(0.7%) had osteoarthritis. Polyarthralgia (n = 33, 55.0%) and polyarthritis (n = 20, 33.3%) were the main presentations. Female gender (OR: 0.45; CI: 0.21-0.96), positive IgG (OR: 0.30; CI: 0.12-0.76), and moderate to severe functional disability (OR: 3.46; CI: 1.62-7.40) were independent predictors of developing chronic post-CHIKV rheumatism. CONCLUSIONS: At 1-year follow-up, more than one-third of the patients remained symptomatic. Female gender, positive IgG, and moderate to severe functional disability contributed to the development of chronicity.